Atlanta Falcons
2016 Record: 11-5 (1st in NFC South)
Head Coach: Dan Quinn (3rd season)
Notable Additions: DT Dontari Poe, DE Jack Crawford, WR Andre Roberts
Notable Departures: ILB Paul Worrilow, OLB Dwight Freeney, G Chris Chester (retired)
-This season is going to the ultimate test of resiliency for the Falcons. Super Bowl losses have a way of carrying over into the following season and given their historic 25-point collapse against the Patriots, the Dirty Birds appear to be even more susceptible to suffering a "Super Bowl hangover". The pettiness some of their players have shown with their offseason comments regarding their god awful 2nd-half performance that opened the door for the Patriots unlikely rally makes me question their level of focus going into the 2017 season, so it's going to be up to the team's veteran leaders (Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Andy Levitre, Desmond Trufant) and head coach Dan Quinn to get this team back on track mentally after such a devastating loss.
-After a season in which he oversaw the top scoring offense in football (33.8 points per game) and subsequently helped Matt Ryan pick up MVP honors for the 1st time in his career, veteran offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan finally defeated his white whale by capturing his 1st-ever NFL head coaching job with the 49ers. Outside of his moronic, overaggressive 2nd half playcalling (calling 3 running plays after taking a 25-point lead is astonishingly stupid) that was at least 95% responsible for their historic Super Bowl collapse, Shanahan did an excellent job running this offense during his 2 years with the Falcons and the level of excitement his uptempo scheme delivered almost every week will be sorely missed in Hotlanta. In a bit of a surprise move, the Falcons tapped former USC head coach Steve Sarkisian as Shanahan's replacement. While he's enjoyed some success at the college level, Sarkisian has only had 1 NFL job prior to this one (QB coach for the Raiders in 2004) and has yet to call a play in a meaningful game as an offensive coordinator. The hiring of an inexperienced coach for a vital role adds another element of uncertainty to a team that is already on shaky ground as they try to regroup from one of the most emotionally-damaging losses in the history of professional sports.
-While their offense is still among the most talent-loaded in the league, a number of question marks still exist throughout their defense. Outside of a couple small pieces (swamping out Dwight Freeney for rookie Takk McKinnley and retired defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux for free agent pickup Dontari Poe) this is essentially the same personnel that were responsible for their 27th overall finish in scoring defense (25.4 points per game) a season ago. With Freeney gone, their pass-rush outside of 2016 breakout performer Vic Beasley Jr. is questionable at best and unless Poe can suddenly return to his Pro Bowl form of 2013 and 2014, there's no reason to believe this run defense will make any notable strides this season. The emergence of another pass-rusher alongside Beasley Jr and sizable growth from the members of last year's promising rookie class (safety Keanu Neal, inside linebacker Deion Jones, Brian Poole) could lead to a surprisingly productive year for this group, but new defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel will more than likely have a rough time trying to get this group to slow down a majority of the opposing offenses they face this season.
Bottom Line:
Unless this mostly young roster can display a tremendous amount of mental strength that hasn't emerged thus far, the pain from their Super Bowl meltdown will carry into this season and derail the Falcons shot of defending their NFC title.
-This season is going to the ultimate test of resiliency for the Falcons. Super Bowl losses have a way of carrying over into the following season and given their historic 25-point collapse against the Patriots, the Dirty Birds appear to be even more susceptible to suffering a "Super Bowl hangover". The pettiness some of their players have shown with their offseason comments regarding their god awful 2nd-half performance that opened the door for the Patriots unlikely rally makes me question their level of focus going into the 2017 season, so it's going to be up to the team's veteran leaders (Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Andy Levitre, Desmond Trufant) and head coach Dan Quinn to get this team back on track mentally after such a devastating loss.
-After a season in which he oversaw the top scoring offense in football (33.8 points per game) and subsequently helped Matt Ryan pick up MVP honors for the 1st time in his career, veteran offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan finally defeated his white whale by capturing his 1st-ever NFL head coaching job with the 49ers. Outside of his moronic, overaggressive 2nd half playcalling (calling 3 running plays after taking a 25-point lead is astonishingly stupid) that was at least 95% responsible for their historic Super Bowl collapse, Shanahan did an excellent job running this offense during his 2 years with the Falcons and the level of excitement his uptempo scheme delivered almost every week will be sorely missed in Hotlanta. In a bit of a surprise move, the Falcons tapped former USC head coach Steve Sarkisian as Shanahan's replacement. While he's enjoyed some success at the college level, Sarkisian has only had 1 NFL job prior to this one (QB coach for the Raiders in 2004) and has yet to call a play in a meaningful game as an offensive coordinator. The hiring of an inexperienced coach for a vital role adds another element of uncertainty to a team that is already on shaky ground as they try to regroup from one of the most emotionally-damaging losses in the history of professional sports.
-While their offense is still among the most talent-loaded in the league, a number of question marks still exist throughout their defense. Outside of a couple small pieces (swamping out Dwight Freeney for rookie Takk McKinnley and retired defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux for free agent pickup Dontari Poe) this is essentially the same personnel that were responsible for their 27th overall finish in scoring defense (25.4 points per game) a season ago. With Freeney gone, their pass-rush outside of 2016 breakout performer Vic Beasley Jr. is questionable at best and unless Poe can suddenly return to his Pro Bowl form of 2013 and 2014, there's no reason to believe this run defense will make any notable strides this season. The emergence of another pass-rusher alongside Beasley Jr and sizable growth from the members of last year's promising rookie class (safety Keanu Neal, inside linebacker Deion Jones, Brian Poole) could lead to a surprisingly productive year for this group, but new defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel will more than likely have a rough time trying to get this group to slow down a majority of the opposing offenses they face this season.
Bottom Line:
Unless this mostly young roster can display a tremendous amount of mental strength that hasn't emerged thus far, the pain from their Super Bowl meltdown will carry into this season and derail the Falcons shot of defending their NFC title.
Carolina Panthers
2016 Record: 6-10 (4th in NFC South)
Head Coach: Ron Rivera (7th season)
Notable Additions: CB Captain Munnerlyn, T Matt Kalil, DE Julius Peppers
Notable Departures: OLB A.J. Klein, T Mike Remmers, S Tre Boston
-Cam Newton had by far the worst year of his career in 2016, scoring an uninspiring 24 total TD's (down from 45 during his MVP season in 2015), completing just 52.9% of his passes and rushing for a career-low 359 YDS. Newton's underwhelming play was largely attributed to playing through injuries for much of the season, which proved to be true when the team announced that he was undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder in late March. As the 2017 season approaches, a plethora of questions have emerged surrounding the 28-year old quarterback's ability and/or willingness to alter his game following this major surgery. Head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Mike Shula have publicly stated throughout the offseason that they want to limit how much Newton runs the ball, which is problematic for a quarterback that has risen to the elite ranks in large part due to his rushing ability. As crazy as it sounds, I completely understand the coaching staff's desire to try and preserve Newton by limiting how much he runs with the ball in the open field. A willingness to sacrifice his physical well-being in order to make splash plays with his legs has been a hallmark of his game throughout his collegiate and professional career, but taking that kind of beating on a weekly basis crushes your body when once you hit 30 (see Ben Roethlisberger), and the Panthers don't want to see their franchise QB deteriorate within the next 2-3 seasons. As talented as the Panthers are on defense, they're only going to go far as Newton takes them and if he can't adapt to being a more pass-centric QB or suffers another substantial injury this season, they will be in deep shit moving forward.
-The Panthers doubled-down on their commitment to protect Newton's long-term health by selecting running back Christian McCaffery with the 8th overall pick in this year's draft. While it remains unclear just how much he'll be utilized as a rookie, McCaffery is a dynamic prospect that is more than capable of becoming an electric, every-down playmaking back in the NFL. I'm expecting him to be primarily used as a pass-catcher out of the backfield early in the season and if he can make enough of an impact in a limited role, he should be able to unseat Jonathan Stewart as the starter at some point before the end of the season.
-Another year, another lengthy series of questions about the Panthers receiving corps. Outside of star tight end Greg Olsen, the team doesn't have another reliable performer among their ranks. Newly-acquired Russell Shepard primarily contributes on special teams, rookie Curtis Samuel is a converted running back who ran a limited route tree while he was at Ohio State and despite a nice collection of highlight-reel plays, top wideout Kelvin Benjamin has shown shaky hands and an unfortunate tendency to disappear in critical moments since he entered the league in 2014. I think Benjamin will improve this season after an especially erratic 2016 where was hampered by timing issues after missing all of 2015 with a torn ACL, but I'd be be pretty surprised if any other receiver that's currently on this roster ended up making plays on a regular basis.
-The return of Captain Munnerlyn after a 3-year stint with the Vikings should have a very positive effect on this young secondary. While they were able to get surprisingly solid seasons out of rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley a year ago, Munnerlyn gives this corner group the reliable veteran glue guy that they sorely lacked once they unceremoniously severed ties with Josh Norman last offseason. Munnerlyn also marks a huge improvement over Zach Sanchez, the lone Panthers rookie who torched consistently last year, as a slot corner. If Worley and Bradberry can keep up their strong play from 2016 and their old-ass safeties (Kurt Coleman and Mike Adams, who came over from the Colts in free agency) don't spontaneously combust on the field, this pass-defense should be able to greatly improve upon their 29th-ranking from 2016.
Bottom Line:
If Cam Newton can return to form and this defense doesn't suddenly implode after the departure of long-time defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, the Panthers could be in contention for a playoff spot.
-Cam Newton had by far the worst year of his career in 2016, scoring an uninspiring 24 total TD's (down from 45 during his MVP season in 2015), completing just 52.9% of his passes and rushing for a career-low 359 YDS. Newton's underwhelming play was largely attributed to playing through injuries for much of the season, which proved to be true when the team announced that he was undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder in late March. As the 2017 season approaches, a plethora of questions have emerged surrounding the 28-year old quarterback's ability and/or willingness to alter his game following this major surgery. Head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Mike Shula have publicly stated throughout the offseason that they want to limit how much Newton runs the ball, which is problematic for a quarterback that has risen to the elite ranks in large part due to his rushing ability. As crazy as it sounds, I completely understand the coaching staff's desire to try and preserve Newton by limiting how much he runs with the ball in the open field. A willingness to sacrifice his physical well-being in order to make splash plays with his legs has been a hallmark of his game throughout his collegiate and professional career, but taking that kind of beating on a weekly basis crushes your body when once you hit 30 (see Ben Roethlisberger), and the Panthers don't want to see their franchise QB deteriorate within the next 2-3 seasons. As talented as the Panthers are on defense, they're only going to go far as Newton takes them and if he can't adapt to being a more pass-centric QB or suffers another substantial injury this season, they will be in deep shit moving forward.
-The Panthers doubled-down on their commitment to protect Newton's long-term health by selecting running back Christian McCaffery with the 8th overall pick in this year's draft. While it remains unclear just how much he'll be utilized as a rookie, McCaffery is a dynamic prospect that is more than capable of becoming an electric, every-down playmaking back in the NFL. I'm expecting him to be primarily used as a pass-catcher out of the backfield early in the season and if he can make enough of an impact in a limited role, he should be able to unseat Jonathan Stewart as the starter at some point before the end of the season.
-Another year, another lengthy series of questions about the Panthers receiving corps. Outside of star tight end Greg Olsen, the team doesn't have another reliable performer among their ranks. Newly-acquired Russell Shepard primarily contributes on special teams, rookie Curtis Samuel is a converted running back who ran a limited route tree while he was at Ohio State and despite a nice collection of highlight-reel plays, top wideout Kelvin Benjamin has shown shaky hands and an unfortunate tendency to disappear in critical moments since he entered the league in 2014. I think Benjamin will improve this season after an especially erratic 2016 where was hampered by timing issues after missing all of 2015 with a torn ACL, but I'd be be pretty surprised if any other receiver that's currently on this roster ended up making plays on a regular basis.
-The return of Captain Munnerlyn after a 3-year stint with the Vikings should have a very positive effect on this young secondary. While they were able to get surprisingly solid seasons out of rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley a year ago, Munnerlyn gives this corner group the reliable veteran glue guy that they sorely lacked once they unceremoniously severed ties with Josh Norman last offseason. Munnerlyn also marks a huge improvement over Zach Sanchez, the lone Panthers rookie who torched consistently last year, as a slot corner. If Worley and Bradberry can keep up their strong play from 2016 and their old-ass safeties (Kurt Coleman and Mike Adams, who came over from the Colts in free agency) don't spontaneously combust on the field, this pass-defense should be able to greatly improve upon their 29th-ranking from 2016.
Bottom Line:
If Cam Newton can return to form and this defense doesn't suddenly implode after the departure of long-time defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, the Panthers could be in contention for a playoff spot.
New Orleans Saints
2016 Record: 7-9 (3rd in NFC South)
Head Coach: Sean Payton (11th season)
Notable Additions: RB Adrian Peterson, G Larry Warford, OLB A.J Klein
Notable Departures: WR Brandin Cooks, G Jahri Evans, RB Tim Hightower
-With their decision to trade Brandin Cooks after a 2nd consecutive 1,100+-yard season in 2016, the Saints displayed a ton of faith in the rest of their young receiving corps. While the savviness of the choice to move an (almost) 24-year old wideout that has flashed ample ability as a vertical threat during his 1st 3 seasons in the NFL is up for debate, it's hard to look at their depth chart and be pessimistic about the talent pool they still have on the roster. Michael Thomas had a sensational rookie season in 2016 (92 REC, 1,1137 YDS, 9 TD's) where he flashed legit top receiver potential , Willie Snead has been a steadily productive presence in the passing game as the team's #3 receiving option over the past 2 seasons and despite his limited playing time over the past 2 seasons, Brandon Coleman has the size and vertical to blossom into a legit redzone threat. With expanded roles on the horizon and a 38-year old quarterback Drew Brees currently showing no signs of regression leading the charge, all of these guys should post even better numbers in 2017 (especially Snead, who is entering a contract year). Cooks will undoubtedly post good numbers and get some championship hardware with the Patriots, but it's entirely conceivable that at least one of these guys ends up becoming a better overall player somewhere down the line.
-The segment of the fanbase that believes that 2007-12 Adrian Peterson is going to suddenly resurface in NOLA are straight-up cooked. At 32 years old, a physical runner like Peterson merely isn't equipped to handle the workload of an every-down back anymore. Plus putting him in a prominent role over a pair of younger, more versatile options (incumbent starter Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara) following a season in which he missed 13 games with a torn meniscus and looked horrible when was on-the-field would make absolutely no fucking sense for a team has plenty of depth at RB. Expecting Peterson to be anything more than an effective short-yardage, change-of-pace back at this juncture of his career would be unrealistic, laughable and flat-out insane.
-Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton received a gift from the gridiron gods when cornerback Marshon Lattimore fell into their laps at #11 overall in this year's draft. Lattimore's combination of fluid footwork, patience on routes, freak athleticism and strong ball skills made him the most complete corner prospect in this year's draft, and a potentially massive steal outside of the top 10. If Lattimore ends up delivering on his tremendous upside by evolving into a shutdown corner at the professional level, the Saints preposterously long #1 cornerback dry spell could finally be over.
-Unfortunately, once you get past Lattimore's potentially bright future and criminally underrated defensive end Cameron Jordan, this is a vintage Saints trash heap defense. It doesn't seem to matter who's in charge of the scheme or how many new starters they bring in via the draft or free agency every year, they just can't seem to field a defense that's competent, let alone good for more than a year at a time during the Loomis/Payton-era. The latest ingenious roster-building scheme concocted by the Loomis/Payton braintrust was to sever ties with their entrenched starters (Jarius Byrd, James Laurinitis, Dannell Ellerbe) in favor of rolling out the guys who weren't good enough to take the field last year (Vonn Bell, Craig Robertson, Nate Stupar). Given the organization's track record when it comes to assessing young talent and putting together a defensive gameplan, I'm sure this strategy will prove to be very rewarding. Their attempts to "improve" by injecting some new blood into this rotation weren't much better as they used their limited cap flexibility to bring in a sad crop of free agents headlined by edge rusher Alex Okafor, inside linebacker Manti Te'o and outside linebacker A.J. Klein. Okafor hasn't done much of anything since he picked up 8 sacks in 2014, Te'o has been one of the worst inside linebackers in the league since he got drafted in 2013 and Klein was a merely decent player during his tenure with the Panthers that will is pretty much bound to regress without Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis playing alongside him. Anything above a bottom-3 finish in scoring defense and total yards allowed would be a pleasant surprise for this sorry-ass group.
Bottom Line:
History will repeat itself as the Saints offensive firepower will be undone by their almost impressive level of defensive ineptitude and force them to miss the playoffs for the 5th time in the last 6 seasons.
-With their decision to trade Brandin Cooks after a 2nd consecutive 1,100+-yard season in 2016, the Saints displayed a ton of faith in the rest of their young receiving corps. While the savviness of the choice to move an (almost) 24-year old wideout that has flashed ample ability as a vertical threat during his 1st 3 seasons in the NFL is up for debate, it's hard to look at their depth chart and be pessimistic about the talent pool they still have on the roster. Michael Thomas had a sensational rookie season in 2016 (92 REC, 1,1137 YDS, 9 TD's) where he flashed legit top receiver potential , Willie Snead has been a steadily productive presence in the passing game as the team's #3 receiving option over the past 2 seasons and despite his limited playing time over the past 2 seasons, Brandon Coleman has the size and vertical to blossom into a legit redzone threat. With expanded roles on the horizon and a 38-year old quarterback Drew Brees currently showing no signs of regression leading the charge, all of these guys should post even better numbers in 2017 (especially Snead, who is entering a contract year). Cooks will undoubtedly post good numbers and get some championship hardware with the Patriots, but it's entirely conceivable that at least one of these guys ends up becoming a better overall player somewhere down the line.
-The segment of the fanbase that believes that 2007-12 Adrian Peterson is going to suddenly resurface in NOLA are straight-up cooked. At 32 years old, a physical runner like Peterson merely isn't equipped to handle the workload of an every-down back anymore. Plus putting him in a prominent role over a pair of younger, more versatile options (incumbent starter Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara) following a season in which he missed 13 games with a torn meniscus and looked horrible when was on-the-field would make absolutely no fucking sense for a team has plenty of depth at RB. Expecting Peterson to be anything more than an effective short-yardage, change-of-pace back at this juncture of his career would be unrealistic, laughable and flat-out insane.
-Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton received a gift from the gridiron gods when cornerback Marshon Lattimore fell into their laps at #11 overall in this year's draft. Lattimore's combination of fluid footwork, patience on routes, freak athleticism and strong ball skills made him the most complete corner prospect in this year's draft, and a potentially massive steal outside of the top 10. If Lattimore ends up delivering on his tremendous upside by evolving into a shutdown corner at the professional level, the Saints preposterously long #1 cornerback dry spell could finally be over.
-Unfortunately, once you get past Lattimore's potentially bright future and criminally underrated defensive end Cameron Jordan, this is a vintage Saints trash heap defense. It doesn't seem to matter who's in charge of the scheme or how many new starters they bring in via the draft or free agency every year, they just can't seem to field a defense that's competent, let alone good for more than a year at a time during the Loomis/Payton-era. The latest ingenious roster-building scheme concocted by the Loomis/Payton braintrust was to sever ties with their entrenched starters (Jarius Byrd, James Laurinitis, Dannell Ellerbe) in favor of rolling out the guys who weren't good enough to take the field last year (Vonn Bell, Craig Robertson, Nate Stupar). Given the organization's track record when it comes to assessing young talent and putting together a defensive gameplan, I'm sure this strategy will prove to be very rewarding. Their attempts to "improve" by injecting some new blood into this rotation weren't much better as they used their limited cap flexibility to bring in a sad crop of free agents headlined by edge rusher Alex Okafor, inside linebacker Manti Te'o and outside linebacker A.J. Klein. Okafor hasn't done much of anything since he picked up 8 sacks in 2014, Te'o has been one of the worst inside linebackers in the league since he got drafted in 2013 and Klein was a merely decent player during his tenure with the Panthers that will is pretty much bound to regress without Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis playing alongside him. Anything above a bottom-3 finish in scoring defense and total yards allowed would be a pleasant surprise for this sorry-ass group.
Bottom Line:
History will repeat itself as the Saints offensive firepower will be undone by their almost impressive level of defensive ineptitude and force them to miss the playoffs for the 5th time in the last 6 seasons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016 Record: 9-7 (2nd in NFC South)
Head Coach: Dirk Koetter (2nd season)
Notable Additions: WR DeSean Jackson, DE/DT Chris Baker, S T.J. Ward
Notable Departures: QB Mike Glennon, S Bradley McDougald, K Roberto Aguayo
-Expectations are high for the Buccaneers going into 2017 and rightfully so. They've got a blossoming franchise quarterback heading into his 3rd season in the league, a #1 wideout in Mike Evans that is an absolute bitch to cover 1-on-1 or bring down in the open field and a solid defense that has a nice mix of veteran standouts (Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, Brent Grimes) and exciting young talent (Noah Spence, Vernon Hargreaves, Kwon Alexander). Don't be surprised if this team ends up going on a deep playoff run this season.
-Winston has silenced some of his critics last season by becoming the 1st QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000+ yards in their first 2 seasons in the league and leading the Bucs to their 1st winning season since 2010. In 2017, he has the potential to shut even more of them up by making the leap from up-and-coming young quarterback to legit NFL star. The addition of veteran speedster DeSean Jackson to the fold gives him a perfect downfield complement to Mike Evans as well as the talented #2 receiver he's lacked since he arrived in Tampa, he's now fully comfortable in Dirk Koetter's system and above all, he's shown a level of maturity on-and-off-the-field that indicates he's on the cusp of taking the league by storm. The gunslinging mentality that results him in forcing passes from time to time is probably never going to go away, but even with that back-breaking flaw, I still expect to morph into an undeniable top-tier quarterback this season.
-This complete lack of faith in Doug Martin's ability to get back on track following a rough 2016 campaign where he missed time with a hamstring injury, picked up a 4-game suspension after testing positive for Adderall (the suspension came down during Week 17, so he'll miss the 1st 3 games of this season) and looked like absolute balls in the 8 games he was actually on the field (421 YDS and 3 TD's on 144 carries) suggests that he'll end up having a phenomenal season in 2017. Both of the great seasons the running back formerly known as The Muscle Hamster has had during his NFL career so far (2012, 2015) came when no one expected him to succeed and following his disastrous 2016, this season absolutely falls in that camp. After getting $15 mil in guaranteed money from his contract voided due to his suspension and facing the legitimate threat of losing his starting job to talented backup Jaquizz Rodgers, he's got a huge incentive to rip shit up this season. If history repeats itself, Martin should firmly take over this backfield committee once he returns to the lineup in week 4 and shock the legions of doubters he's attracted before immediately regressing once again in 2018.
-The lone area of serious concern I have with this team is the offensive line. While their run blocking was generally decent, their weak pass-protection resulted in Winston getting sacked 35 times last season. The same 5 guys (Donovan Smith, Demar Dotson, J.R. Sweezy, Kevin Pamphile and Ali Marpet) that were tasked with protecting Winston in 2016 are currently projected to be starting again this season and with the exception of 3rd-year center Marpet, none of them are good enough to be relied on to protect a franchise QB for 16 games. If this group's consistently poor pass-blocking results in Winston getting hurt and newly-minted backup Ryan Fitzpatrick being forced to take the helm, the Bucs playoff dreams will be crushed instantaneously.
-I'd like to personally thank every member of this organization for restoring my faith and general interest in HBO's Hard Knocks after last season's abysmal stint with the LA Rams. The high volume of lively personalities on this roster (Gerald McCoy, Chris Baker, Mike Evans) and Jameis Winston's immense likability has easily made this season the most entertaining installment of the popular documentary series since the infamous 2010 edition with the Rex Ryan-lead Jets.
Bottom Line:
If they can play up to their off-the-charts potential, the Buccaneers should be the breakout team of 2017 and run away with the NFC South title.
-Expectations are high for the Buccaneers going into 2017 and rightfully so. They've got a blossoming franchise quarterback heading into his 3rd season in the league, a #1 wideout in Mike Evans that is an absolute bitch to cover 1-on-1 or bring down in the open field and a solid defense that has a nice mix of veteran standouts (Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, Brent Grimes) and exciting young talent (Noah Spence, Vernon Hargreaves, Kwon Alexander). Don't be surprised if this team ends up going on a deep playoff run this season.
-Winston has silenced some of his critics last season by becoming the 1st QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000+ yards in their first 2 seasons in the league and leading the Bucs to their 1st winning season since 2010. In 2017, he has the potential to shut even more of them up by making the leap from up-and-coming young quarterback to legit NFL star. The addition of veteran speedster DeSean Jackson to the fold gives him a perfect downfield complement to Mike Evans as well as the talented #2 receiver he's lacked since he arrived in Tampa, he's now fully comfortable in Dirk Koetter's system and above all, he's shown a level of maturity on-and-off-the-field that indicates he's on the cusp of taking the league by storm. The gunslinging mentality that results him in forcing passes from time to time is probably never going to go away, but even with that back-breaking flaw, I still expect to morph into an undeniable top-tier quarterback this season.
-This complete lack of faith in Doug Martin's ability to get back on track following a rough 2016 campaign where he missed time with a hamstring injury, picked up a 4-game suspension after testing positive for Adderall (the suspension came down during Week 17, so he'll miss the 1st 3 games of this season) and looked like absolute balls in the 8 games he was actually on the field (421 YDS and 3 TD's on 144 carries) suggests that he'll end up having a phenomenal season in 2017. Both of the great seasons the running back formerly known as The Muscle Hamster has had during his NFL career so far (2012, 2015) came when no one expected him to succeed and following his disastrous 2016, this season absolutely falls in that camp. After getting $15 mil in guaranteed money from his contract voided due to his suspension and facing the legitimate threat of losing his starting job to talented backup Jaquizz Rodgers, he's got a huge incentive to rip shit up this season. If history repeats itself, Martin should firmly take over this backfield committee once he returns to the lineup in week 4 and shock the legions of doubters he's attracted before immediately regressing once again in 2018.
-The lone area of serious concern I have with this team is the offensive line. While their run blocking was generally decent, their weak pass-protection resulted in Winston getting sacked 35 times last season. The same 5 guys (Donovan Smith, Demar Dotson, J.R. Sweezy, Kevin Pamphile and Ali Marpet) that were tasked with protecting Winston in 2016 are currently projected to be starting again this season and with the exception of 3rd-year center Marpet, none of them are good enough to be relied on to protect a franchise QB for 16 games. If this group's consistently poor pass-blocking results in Winston getting hurt and newly-minted backup Ryan Fitzpatrick being forced to take the helm, the Bucs playoff dreams will be crushed instantaneously.
-I'd like to personally thank every member of this organization for restoring my faith and general interest in HBO's Hard Knocks after last season's abysmal stint with the LA Rams. The high volume of lively personalities on this roster (Gerald McCoy, Chris Baker, Mike Evans) and Jameis Winston's immense likability has easily made this season the most entertaining installment of the popular documentary series since the infamous 2010 edition with the Rex Ryan-lead Jets.
Bottom Line:
If they can play up to their off-the-charts potential, the Buccaneers should be the breakout team of 2017 and run away with the NFC South title.
Projected Standings
1.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
2.Carolina Panthers (8-8)
3.Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
4.New Orleans Saints (6-10)
4.New Orleans Saints (6-10)
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